Hunting Day

Guy Miner

Master Loader
Apr 6, 2006
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For me anyway, there is a familiar pattern, be it deer, antelope, bear or elk:


Dark. Awake, kind of. Coffee. Food. More coffee.

Maybe a ride in the Jeep. Maybe not.

Hike. Hike more. Uphill. Almost always uphill.

Sweat. Sweat more. Sweat a lot. Resolve to be in better shape next year.

Sweat a bit more.

Reach glassing destination. Still dark. Cold. Sweat freezes.

Wait. Wait. Sun rises so slowly while I'm frozen. Light, sort of. On the glass, looking, looking, looking. Deciding what is brush, and what might be game. Continue.

Full light. Maybe a bit warmer? Glassing more. Listening intently. Looking for any sign of game.

Snoring mid-morning. Wake myself from unplanned nap. This is common.

Glass more, quickly, 'cause something might have changed while I was asleep!

Lunch in the field. Sandwich. Coffee?

Nap. Deliberate this time.

Decide this area won't work for the afternoon hunt. Sun will be wrong. Wind will be wrong. Game movement likely to be wrong.

Hike. Hike more. Sweat more. Down into the canyon, back up the other side. New places to glass. New spot to rest, watch. Nap.

Shadows grow long. Temp cools again. Alert. Knowing game may be moving anytime now.

Dusk. Glassing even more intently. Last light.

Full dark. Headlamp on, hike out. Try not to sweat this time.

Back to tent, cabin, wherever I'm staying. Dinner. One beer. Maybe two. Pack lunch for the next day.

Repeat until successful, or the hunt ends. Day after day. Don't give up.

Occasionally, sometime during the hunt, the rifle speaks. Usually only once. Elation. Now the work really begins. Dang, it's a long way back to the tent, cabin, Jeep... How did that get to be uphill? I thought we went uphill to get here? Sigh. Somehow it's uphill. The pack is heavy, warm against my back with fresh meat.

Satisfied exhaustion.
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Dearly love to hunt.
 
That pretty well covers it. I would add the warmth of the wood stove. The day's events, dinner- a competition on who makes the best meal, bedded down by 2000 hrs. Best two weeks of the year.


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Well guy we hunt pretty much the same, however I think I may take more naps. I have also found that most of the game I kill are animals I found in the am and followed through out the day, or found the night before. Most of the country I hunt, is to vast for me to get on the game in the AM however it sometimes happens. The hours are long, sleep is never enough and I keep going back for more.
 
1100 Remington Man":363rmens said:
That’s what I enjoy all you missed was the two beers is by a fire with a Good Friend or Family Member.
What he said


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I often find myself needing a "rest day" after two or three days of hard hunting.

I'll hunt on that rest day, but... Perhaps not so hard. More naps. More food. Kinda healing up from all the exertion and lack of rest the first few days.
 
salmonchaser":3v0j44xv said:
1100 Remington Man":3v0j44xv said:
That’s what I enjoy all you missed was the two beers is by a fire with a Good Friend or Family Member.
What he said

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Ya, I like that a lot. Miss it a little when I'm camped & hunting solo. Both ways are fine. Alone or with family & friends.

Guy
 
Guy you need to sit down at the computer and write a book! I like your posts and clearly you have a way about being clear and to the point and yet humorous at the same time.
 
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